Blackhawk POA

---

Ruger Ranch has just qualified for national Firewise certification. The same has been achieved in Peeples Valley proper to our south, as well as, the neighboring community inside PV called Buckhorn Legacy.  All three are within the PV fire district. At a time when some states, including parts of Arizona, are seeing major insurance companies leave markets or refuse to write new homeowners polices due to rising extreme wild fire risk, our Firewise certification, which must be renewed annually, may just help prevent homeowners from seeing skyrocketing premiums or being dropped by their insurance company altogether. 

Recently, a PV resident was told by her insurer that they were either going to drop her insurance or raise her rates to an exorbitantly high rate.  However, once the auditor learned of her neighborhood’s Firewise certification, as well as, some pending fuels work funded by a grant awarded in part due to the community’s Firewise status, her insurer not only kept her insurance in place but also did not raise her rates.

In order to maintain Firewise certification, each year our community must complete 1 hour of fuel mitigation per home or the financial equivalent of 1 hour (approximately $30/hour).  We currently have about 15 homes which translates into 15 hours or the financial equivalent for the entire Ruger Ranch community. This means just a handful of residents may do enough work each year to cover the entire community!  Of course, landowners are encouraged to reduce fuels (e.g., thin forests, brush) and improve fire breaks as well.  We are all only as protected as the least lot, home, or road among us.

Please track, record (i.e., photos), and send in your efforts in calendar year 2024 (i.e., time spent, and/or money spent on labor, supplies such as chain saw fuel, etc.) to Weaver Mountains Communities Firewise coordinator, Grey Stafford (see PVFD website link below). As was the case with our initial application, Ruger residents have consistently spent far more to improve our fire prevention conditions, including our roadways, than what is required for our yearly renewal.

Future steps include forming a 501c3 that can apply for fuels mitigation grants from the state and federal government.  Maintaining Firewise status will go a long way to qualifying for such funding.

Here are links for more information including how to prepare your homes for fire season:

https://www.nfpa.org/Education-and-Research/Wildfire/Firewise-USA

https://yavapaifirewise.org

And be sure to visit the new Peeples Valley Fire Department website:

https://www.peeplesvalleyfire.org

---

---

Before burning any cut brush on your property, contact the Peeples Valley Fire Department.

It’s HOT in the valley and you have 18, 36, 72 or more acres up North of Yarnell at 4800 feet. Let’s head up in the RV for July. WAIT! There are some rules and regulations regarding camping on your vacant land.

Ruger Ranch Rules regarding Property Owners camping on their land.

The CCR’s state:

6.4 Temporary Structures: Motor homes, travel trailers and recreational vehicles may not be parked or used on a Parcel for more than seven (7) accumulative days per month. All such structures must be fully self-contained. No temporary structure may be used as a residence or guest house.

---

From Yavapai county permitting website.

Temporary Dwelling/Office Permit

Occupancy of temporary housing, including travel trailers, recreational vehicles, park models and single-wide manufactured homes during the construction of a permanent dwelling (site built or manufactured/factory-built) is allowed during the twenty-four (24) month period after the issuance of a building permit (and the building permit remains valid). A permit must be obtained prior to occupancy of the temporary housing. This permit cannot be applied for until a permit is issued for the primary residence. Contact the Customer Service and Permitting Unit for more information.

Timeline after permit issues.

Once the residence permit is issued, inspections must occur at least once every 180 days to show progress. If valid construction delays happen, extensions may be granted, but not guaranteed. Keep the county informed to prevent from being fined or your permit from being cancelled.

The Agricultural Land Use Application (DOR 82916) is to be used by the owner or the owner’s designated agent to apply for agricultural classification pursuant to A.R.S. § 42-12153(B), under the following circumstances. 

1. For land that is not currently qualified or classified as agricultural property.
2. Change in ownership or change in use – the owner must file this application within sixty days of transfer of title to maintain agricultural classification of the property.
3. Renewal and/or update of agricultural status (required every 4 years). If 2023 is your fourth year, you need to submit your paperwork before June 1st, 2023 for 2024. June 1st 2023 is the deadline for 2024.

New or renewal applications MUST be filed by June 1st to be eligible for the subsequent tax year.

IMPORTANT Fill out the ENTIRE Application. It is a fillable PDF. It will only allow you to fill out the required fields. PRINT AND SIGN IT after you completed. Follow the instructions on the forms.

Agriculture Land Use Application Click here . This link will take you to the Yavapai Assessor website. Scroll down to the Agricultural Land Use Application. Download and complete the 5 forms under Agricultural Land Use Application and Agricultural Lease Abstract.

Once the application is completed, send to Steve Hampton (the rancher) along with a postage-paid (3 oz of postage, 12 pages plus envelope) 9×12  inch flat return envelop that is addressed back to you,  the landowner. He will send you a signed lease.

Mr. Steve Hampton
PO Box 134
Kirkland, AZ 86332

(If you wish to contact Steve Hampton directly, contact the webmaster for Steve’s contact information)

Once you have the signed lease from Steve Hampton, you need to record it with the assessor’s office (2nd floor) and provide the county clerk with copies of the application and a copy of the lease (1^st floor). If you plan to do this through the mail, contact the assessor’s office for instructions. The Prescott Office of Yavapai County Administrative Services is located on the 1st floor at 1015 Fair Street, Prescott, AZ 86305. Phone:   (928) 771-3220

Please feel free to contact the Yavapai County Assessors office ask for Linda Bruner, at 928-771-3214 or linda.bruner@co.yavapai.az.us